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Title: Drivers and implications of alternative routes to fuels decarbonization in net-zero energy systems

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [4];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [4];  [7]; ORCiD logo [8];  [9]
  1. ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co., Annandale, NJ (United States)
  2. Bezos Earth Fund, Washington, DC (United States); Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
  3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Joint Global Change Research Institute
  4. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  5. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)
  6. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Joint Global Change Research Institute
  7. Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States)
  8. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  9. Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

Energy transition scenarios are characterized by increasing electrification and improving efficiency of energy end uses, rapid decarbonization of the electric power sector, and deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to offset remaining emissions. Although hydrocarbon fuels typically decline in such scenarios, significant volumes remain in many scenarios even at the time of net-zero emissions. While scenarios rely on different approaches for decarbonizing remaining fuels, the underlying drivers for these differences are unclear. Here we develop several illustrative net-zero systems in a simple structural energy model and show that, for a given set of final energy demands, assumptions about the use of biomass and CO2 sequestration drive key differences in how emissions from remaining fuels are mitigated. Limiting one resource may increase reliance on another, implying that decisions about using or restricting resources in pursuit of net-zero objectives could have significant tradeoffs that will need to be evaluated and managed.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830; AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
2349419
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2367310
Report Number(s):
PNNL-ACT-SA-10768; NREL/JA-6A20-89982
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 15, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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